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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24073651">Let's Burn the Whole World to the Ground</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildwalker/pseuds/Wildwalker'>Wildwalker</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Promare (2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Also vague spoilers if you haven't seen the movie yet. Just go watch it real quick!, Galo and Lio are a thing ok??, Grief/Mourning, Heart-to-Heart, Implied Relationships, Insomnia, M/M, They live together. They're boyfriends, shameless fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:20:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>900</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24073651</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildwalker/pseuds/Wildwalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In the quiet hours of the morning, Lio reflects on life without the Promare. Galo is there to provide some comfort.</p>
<p>"Galo Thymos, I'm beginning to think you're not as much of an idiot as everyone thinks."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>82</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Let's Burn the Whole World to the Ground</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arianwen44/gifts">Arianwen44</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For a friend who is also having trouble sleeping &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was something about the quiet moments of the morning at 4am that just seemed to haunt Lio. Like clockwork he would find himself awake, staring at the ceiling, no matter how tired he was. Sleep evaded him like smoke winding through his fingers. It was haunting.</p>
<p>There he was, the sheets tangled around his half-bared legs, the only other covering on his body his boxer briefs. He’d tried fighting it, turning onto his side, then his stomach, then back onto his back. Nothing seemed to help. Finally, at the risk of disturbing Galo, he got up and left the room.</p>
<p>The silence was eerie as he creeped across the darkened living room. Not an all-consuming presence like one might expect, but a smaller silence. An absence, really, as if his ears strained towards imagined sounds that were not quite in reach. Even the sound of his footsteps sounded oddly muffled, yet another part of the quiet.</p>
<p>Galo had a nice apartment, he admitted. A small apartment; at least the view was great. The apartment was situated in one of the city’s skyscrapers, high above the ground with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the entire city. The city lights seemed to sparkle and glitter on the other side of the glass like jewels, like tiny fractals of reflected light. It was breathtaking.</p>
<p>And still, Lio couldn’t help feeling like it was… not enough.</p>
<p>Nudging aside one of the high bar stools, he leaned against the bar looking out over the city and sighed, feeling empty inside. He was used to firelight, to warmth and to flickering and to <em>motion</em>. To him, the city lights just seemed so <em>alien. Cold</em>. <em>Lifeless</em>…</p>
<p>There was a hollowness inside Lio, a vacancy that he couldn’t quite fill. He reached for it sometimes, trying to feel that warmth that he once knew. That fire inside that made him want to <em>burn, </em>to burn with the intensity of a raging sun. All that remained now was a blackened pit, not even the ashes to tell him how hot he’d once burned.</p>
<p>“You awake?”</p>
<p>Galo’s voice didn’t even come as a surprise to him, a small disruption in the otherwise unbroken quiet. Lio spared him a glance over his shoulder before returning to stare out the window, grunting as Galo padded up beside him.</p>
<p>“Stupid question,” he muttered in reply.</p>
<p>“Ok… How about ‘why are you awake?’” Galo tried again.</p>
<p>Lio only glanced at him out of the corner of one eye. At any other time Galo’s presence was like a balm to him. He could be annoying and idiotic at times, but never did Lio feel like he wanted Galo to leave him alone. Now he wasn’t so certain…</p>
<p>“Couldn’t sleep?”</p>
<p>Another long pause before Lio slowly nodded.</p>
<p>“… You’re thinking about the Promare again, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>This time Lio didn’t even justify the question with an acknowledgement. “I know how you feel about fire,” he diverted, not really wanting to start this argument. How could a firefighter ever understand how he felt?</p>
<p>He heard Galo sigh.</p>
<p>“Babe, you might not believe it, but I get where you’re coming from.”</p>
<p>He risked a glance out of the corner of his eye to see Galo grinning back at him, oddly disarming in its sincerity.</p>
<p>“Believe it or not, when I see a big fire, I get excited. I want to see how high it can get, how hot. I want to see it burning <em>out of control! </em>But then I remember all the people it could hurt.”</p>
<p>Galo was still smiling, but his expression had taken on a faraway, pained look.</p>
<p>“I lost my family in that fire, you know?”</p>
<p>Lio didn’t have to ask what he was referring to. He already knew, but hearing the words come out of Galo’s mouth was still a shock. He turned to look at Galo, who was now staring out at the view in turn.</p>
<p>“Losing somebody like that… someone important… It blows a hole right through your entire life. Even if that person’s a weird fire alien from outerspace.”</p>
<p>Lio’s eyes widened as Galo flashed him another grin.</p>
<p>“I guess what I’m saying is you’re grieving, and that’s okay. It’s okay to grieve. Just don’t feel like you gotta do it alone, and don’t go latching onto any obvious bad guys like me.” Galo’s grin widened at the joke at his own expense. “One idiot around here is enough!”</p>
<p>“Galo Thymos, I’m beginning to think you’re not as much of an idiot as everyone thinks,” Lio breathed, still a bit stunned to have <em>Galo </em>of all people drop such an important revelation on him.</p>
<p>“Oh I’m an idiot,” Galo laughed, guileless with cheer. “I’m just <em>your</em> idiot!”</p>
<p>Leaning over, Galo pressed a kiss to Lio’s temple. Their skin where it touched was warm, radiating with life.</p>
<p>“Come back to bed when you’re ready,” he murmured into Lio’s hair. “Take all the time you need.”</p>
<p>With that he turned away, heading off towards the bedroom. Now that he’d felt his warmth, Lio was reluctant to let him go. Still, he lingered by the window, still staring outside. The view really was lovely, in a strange, human sort of way. When he did eventually turn away, he was surprised to see the room at his back illuminated with soft, golden light, a candle flickering gently for him upon the table. He smiled.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoyed!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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